Our Last Dance
by Sky Light
Summary: Hermione reminices about her sixth year troubles with Ron and Harry. She is torn by the two people she loves most. It will get juicier as I go on a bit more. Please R&R. Flame me if you really hate it. Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry, Hermione, Ron an
1. Default Chapter Title

  


  
  
  
**Our Last Dance  
  
**

  
  


  


  
  


It was seventh year and there I was, all by myself. Only one friend that I could really talk to. Only one friend that was a girl. I had hung onto Harry and Ron as long as I could, but things had changed in our sixth year. Only one year ago, I still had two of the best friends that anyone could ask for. Now, all I had was two boys fighting for my love.  
  
It was true that I did love them. The fact is, I loved them to death. At the time, I did not know what kind of feelings I had for them, but I knew it was some kind of love. A love that binds. A love deeper that one can truely say in words.  
  
My name is Hermione Granger and I am twenty years old. I have seen more trouble and pain than anyone knows. I have lost everyone dear to me and could tell you more than you want to know about love. It all started in my sixth year...  
  
I was on the train, right in the back compartment, waiting for Harry and Ron, my two best friends. I couldn't think of any two better people in the world at the tima and I was strong for them, because of them. They were my life. They were my all.  
  
Harry came first, a smile on his perfect lips. It was his lips that intreagued me. I wanted to know what his lips would feel like when pressed against mine in a tender kiss. He was what I wanted. Or was he?  
  
"Hello, Hermione. How was your summer?" he said to me. It was a friendly tone. Why? Why was he so friendly to me? It left me wanting so much more. I answered in what seemed like my normal tone, "It was fine. I missed you so much. "I missed you too," he replied. Was it me, or did I detect some kind of lust in his tone? I couldn't rightly tell. All I knew was that I wanted him...  
  
And then Ron walked in. "Hello, Harry, Hermione," he boomed, beaming at us. The way I was attracted to Ron was somewhat diffrent. He could always make me laugh. He was always there to make me feel good. He was stable. I liked that. "Hello, Ron," was my reply, which was chorused with Harry's.  
  
We chatted about our summers and the upcoming schoolyear until the candy-woman came up. I bought a few Chocolate Frogs and some Cauldron Cakes. The woman said, "That'll be a Sickle and fourteen Knuts, dearie." Harry lept up. "I-I-I'll g-get it," he sputtered out, being uncharictaristically stuttered.  
  
"What's wrong Harry? You sound like Professor Quirrel..." Ron said, sounding downcast. "Uhh, Harry, I need to talk to you out in the hall." That is how it al began. my year of hell.   
  


  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns all of the stuff in this but the song and the story. The sond is byn Tammy Cochran and I don't know who it is written by, but I don't own it. The story is owned by John Steinback.  
  
A/N: this WILL get a bit jucier later on! ;-)  
  
Our Last Dance, Part Two: For Fear Of Hurting Ron...  
  
Maybe they thought that I couldn't hear them, but I did. The rage started bubbling in the cauldron of the soul as the crept out the door, shooting daggers at each other. I did a quick spying spell to the door, so I could hear their conversation through it but now, I wish I could have just gone through the year, innocent and unknowing.   
  
"How could you Harry. You snake. You know that I like her," Ron spat at Harry in a disgusted tone. "How was I to know. You've never told me that. Besides, what am I to do then? I have feelings for her, too,"Harry retorted. It went on like this for a time and eventually ended in, "I bet that if she likes you, its only because you have money," being spouted by Ron and, " Well, then, I bet the only reason she'd ever date you is out of pity," being yelled by Harry. Finally, when it got down to the line, it ended bitterly.  
  
"I hate you. I never want to see or speak to you ever again," Harry choked.   
"Well, I never want to see you again either. In fact I don't want to sit with you on the way to Hogwarts,"Ron told Harry. "Well, I don't want to sit with you either, but if one of us leaves, who gets to sit with Hermione?" Harry asked in a slightly softened tone. "I s'ppose we'll need to either duel or flip for it," Ron said, "but I would go for the flip because we're on a train with no seconds, and Potter, right now, I've a mind to kill you."  
  
Ron won the flip, came back in, and looked very angry when I asked him where Harry had gone. "Out," he replied. I wondered what he meant my that. When the matter of Harry was out of his mind, Ron went back to being the kind, enjoyable person that I was used to. He had adapted a personality that was a bit like his older twin brothers'. We talked for a while and after I had gone to change there was Ron, looking positively scared out of his mind. I knew why, and yet I didn't. How could asking someone out be so frightening?  
  
"Hermione," Ron said, clearing his throat, "I, umm, really like you. I mean to say, if I was to ask you out, what would you say? No, no, that isn't right..." "Ron, I know what you're trying to ask and say. I do like you and yes, I will go out with you." Ron smiled bigger and brighter than I had ever seem him and came over and hugged me. It felt warm and comfortable, but there was no flame in it. I, however, was unexperienced in this matter so I thought that perhaps fire waited for the kiss and that was the real test. I shook it off but I still felt uneasy about it. Why was I so worried? Was it more than my unknowing? What was it?  
  
We soon arrived at the castle and I chose to loose Ron for a minute and ride with Harry in the carriage. He looked pleased to have me riding with him and started to put his arm around my shoulders. Our skin touched. It was like electricity. It was like a book I read once. A Muggle fiction called "The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights," by John Steinbeck. There were a man and a woman named Lancelot and Guinevere and when they touched it was so strong that it was almost painful. This is how it was with Harry and I. I wanted him to touch me more, but I couldn't let him, for fear of hurting Ron.  
  
To think of it now, most of everything I did that year was for fear of hurting Ron. I stayed with Ron because I was afraid to loose a friend, but what I caused was a lost friend and the separation of two. I should have broken it off but didn't for fear of hurting Ron. Fear. It is such a vague term, and yet, it is so pin-pointed. What is fear? Fear is never knowing when you will die, knowing it might come any day. Knowing that no matter how far you run, the enemy is close. Knowing that because you are friends with someone you truly love, you are putting yourself into danger. Harry and I were bound by this fear. It isn't just love and friendship that can bind.  
  
At the feast, I sat between Harry and Ron. Neither of them spoke a word to the other. It was eerie the way that they could just dismiss their friendship like that and then think nothing more of it. It hurt me. They didn't know it yet, but it did. It would hurt me more than they would ever expect.   
  
Harry and I were Gryffindor's Prefects and we led all of the students in our House, new and returning, up to the tower that was our dormitory. Ron hung back to avoid Harry. We reached a set of stairs on the way up and Harry walked behind me, his hand on the small of my back. It made me shiver. Why did I react to him so? Was it because he was the forbidden fruit? Perfect, smart, brave Hermione had none of the answers. I had nothing but fear and confusion of love. Why was my world so twisted. I had nothing to answer. I did not know.  
  
He took off his hand and I yearned for more. A simple touch was pure extacy. I needed more. I felt bad. I wanted more but knew I shouldn't have it. I felt like I was the cheater and Ron was telling me how he felt. I once heard a song called "If You Can." It reminded me of the situation...  
  
"If you can look me in the eye and say, we're over. If you can kiss my lips and feel no fire inside. If you can hold my body close and still say you love her more, then you can walk out of my life, if you can. You can walk out of my life, if you can."  
  
If Ron only knew. For now I was glad he didn't. He was naive to think that with all the feelings that Harry and I openly expressed for each other that we had nothing more than friendship. I knew it was more, already, after one day, I knew. It was amazing, what Harry and I had, but it couldn't yet develop, for fear of hurting Ron...   



End file.
